By Kristen Snider, Data Analyst
Geonetric recently finished our third annual study on eHealth initiatives. Each year we research the trends that are developing in hospitals and health systems in order to better serve our clients. As we wrap up this year’s findings, we are starting to define the questions for the 2008 survey.
The survey focuses on organizational and departmental cultures, involvement in online initiatives, and various ways hospitals valuate their investments through ROI, increased brand awareness, or patient satisfaction. A new aspect of the survey last year was a functionality question. This question asked about the majority of features that can be included on a Web site, and whether respondents already had the feature on their site, were planning to get it in the next 6 months, or had no plans in the near future of getting the functionality.
This aspect gives a baseline on the industry, and helps us trend what functionalities are soon-to-be mainstream. It was interesting to see that virtually all hospital/health system Web sites include:
- Maps and Directions
- Job Employment Listings
- Job Applications
- Class/Event Calendar
- Find a Doctor, Service, and Location
It was also interesting to see the top growth functionalities are in the areas of:
- Transactional Capabilities
- Openness and Accountability Measures
- Extending the Patient’s Care Experience Online
- Communications between Patients and Friends and Families
The findings help define online initiatives in the industry, and help to you determine where your organization stands and where it should be heading. So while we are configuring the questions for the 2008 survey, if you have any suggestions, subjects we should delve into, or industry standards that you would like to know, please comment on them below.
Visit our Web site to order this year’s Study on Initiatives in eHealth.
